Science and engineering are two closely related disciplines relating to knowledge about the universe we live in. Science leans toward pure knowledge for its own sake, while engineering relates to the exploitation of that knowledge to improve human society. Some scientific disciplines, such as linguistics, do not have much overlap with engineering, while many fields, particularly relating to electronics and computers, overlap closely. In fact, computer science and computer engineering are nearly inseparable.

A relevant quote (relating specifically to the economics of computer software development) may be found in this article by Steve Tockey:

"Science is the pursuit of knowledge, and engineering is the application of that knowledge for the benefit of people."